Envelop feeding and handling device



C. L. POST.

ENVELOP FEEDING AND HANDLING DEVICI I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, L919.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I c. L. POST.

ENVELOP FEEDING AND HANDLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1919. v

Patented Apr. 29, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

C. L. POST.

ENVELOP FEEDING AND HANDLING DEVICE.

Pa tented Apr. 20, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-13, 1919.

CLAUDE L. POST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENVELOP FEEDING AND HANDLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

' t Application filed March 13, 1919. Serial No. 282,800.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE L. Pos'r, a citizen of the United .States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop Feeding and Handling Devices, of which the following is a descriptionl My invention relates to improvements in envelop feeding and handling devices, and more particularly to mechanism designed for the printing of return addresses or other matter on envelops.

An object of my invention is to provide a press with means for feeding envelops from -,a magazine to printing rollers or the like by turning the envelop flaps in such manner as to be successively engaged by said rollers.

A further object is to provide a cam-controlled finger for successively engaging the flaps of envelops stored in a magazine and turning said flaps into engaging position with feeding rollers, whereby the envelops are successively withdrawn from said magazine for any purpose.

Andla further object is to provide printing rollers of such a form as to permit envelop flaps to be turned on the foldthere- '30 of and be engaged by said rollers in quick.

succession. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view, my invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts all as will be hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. I

An embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings re )resenting aprinting press, forming a part 0 thespecification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved printing press, showing an envelop magazine removably secured thereto;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the press, showing the general arrangement of the operating parts;

- Fig. 3 is a detail plan section taken on line 3+3 of Fig. 1, showing an envelop support employed on said magazine;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the flap side of an ordinary envelop;

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the press. taken on line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on l1 ne 6-6 of Fig. 1., a portion of the prgiting rollers being shown in elevation; an

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views showing several stages in the envelop feed- 1n operation.

he preferred form of construction, as shown in the drawings, com rises a frame having side members 1 an 2, the latter being provided with a rearwardly extending arm 3, as shown in Figs. -1 and 2. Forwardly extending arms 4 are provided to support an envelop magazine 5, which is held in position on said arms b means of upwardly extending teeth 6. aid magazine is also provided with downwardly extending pins 7, which facilitate positioning thereof on arms 4. i

The magazine 5 comprises a bottom 8 for supporting the body or pile of envelops 9, there being an opening 10 in said bottom for permitting the envelop flaps 91.to drop slightly relative to body 9, which will be clear by reference to Fig. 5. The shape of opening 10 corresponds more or less to the shape ofan envelop flap, with the exception of a recess 11 which is provided to make clearance for a fin or 12, the function of which will be described hereinafter. The rear wall 13 of the magazine 5 projects downwardly?- a su'flicient 'distance to retain envelops 9 in said magazine when an envelop is being acted on by the finger 12. Magazine 5 further comprises walls 14 and 15, as shown in. cross section in Fig. 3, for positioning the front corners of the envelops contained in the magazine, the 0 enings between the magazine walls being 0 use in enabling one to determine how many en velops are stored in the magazine.

A drive shaft 16 is journaled in frame 1 and provided with'a driving pulley 17 and a driving gear 18, as shown in Fig. 6. A driven shaft 19 is also journaled in frame 1 and arranged above shaft 16 and parallel therewith, shaft 19 carrying a driven gear 20 which meshes with gear 18, whereby said shafts are revolved at the same speed but in opposite directions.

A crank 21 is secured to shaft 16 by means of a set screw 22, and is provided with a crank pin 23 for reciprocating a connecting rod 24, as shown in Fig. 4. The rearward end of the connecting rod 24 is pivoted to a link 25 extending downwardly from arm 3 and pivoted thereto as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. A horizontally movable connecting rod 26 is also pivoted to link 25 and is actuated thereby for movin finger 12, which is secured to an oscil ating block 27 carried at one end of a laterally extending arm 28, which extends inwardly from the forward end of rod 26, as shown in Fig. 2. Secured also to block 27 is a rearwardly extending cam 29 which is guided in its movement by means of a transversely extending frame rod 30, the weight of finger l2 and cam 29 being sufficient to maintain said cam in contact with rod 30 throughout the travel thereof in either direction.

Shafts 16 and 19 form a part of feeding and printing rolls 31 and 32, respectively, these rolls being surmounted by a pair of ink rolls 33 which carry an idler 34 for distributin ink thereon. Rolls 33 and 34 are journaFed in the frame side members 1 and 2, as shown in Fig. 6, said roll 34 also being free to move endwise, whereby ink supplied to rolls 33 is uniformly distributed thereover.

The lower printing roll, or if desired both the rolls, are provided with feeding arcs 35 intermediate the ends thereof, and

roll 32 is provided with a type block 36 for intermittent cooperation with a platen 37 having a tympan sheet 38. g

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Assuming that ink has been supplied to the rolls 33 and that the finger 12 is positioned as shown in Fig. 5, then u )on starting the machine the point of said nger will move to the left over flap 91, as shown in Fig. 7. Further movement of fin or 12 to the left will effect a swinging of fa 91 on the axis or fold thereof, so that by t e time finger 12 reaches the position as shown in Fig. 8, said flap will assume substantially a vertical position.- It will be noted in this figure that the point of finger 12 has dropped somewhat in order to maintain contact with flap 91 and to prevent its punching the flap at its juncture with the body of the envelop. Said drop of the finger 12 is effected by the curvature of cam 29, as clearly shown in the several figures. The osition of finger 12 when at the limit of t e movement thereof to the left is shown in Fig. 9., in which clearance for the flap movement. After the printing has taken place, the envelops being fed through are 35, are ejected therefrom, as indicated in Fig. 5.

While the free edge of flap 91 is shown normally spaced from the body of the envelop .9, for clearness of illustration, said flap may be fairly close to the body of the envelop, since the point of finger 12 is very thin and capable of entering recess 11 and traversing the lower side of the envelop before flap 91 is reached, whereu n the latter is reliably engaged and presse downwardly as hereinbefore described.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, there might be various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction as set forth. but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims. L

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the kind described comprising a pair of feeding rolls having 00 operatin ceding arcs, an envelop magazine arrange adjacent said rolls having a discharge opening through which envelop flaps normally pro ect, and means for turning said flaps into engaging position with said feeding arcs, there being clearance betwei n the ends of said arcs permitting such movement.

2. An envelop handling device comprising a driving roll and a driven roll, cooperating feeding arcs arranged on said rolls, a type discharge opening therein, and means for successlvel engaging envelop flaps projecting throng 1 said opening with said feeding arcs.

3. An envelop handling device comprising a driving roll and a driven roll, feeding arcs on said rolls arranged for intermittent cooperation, a type block on one roll and a cooperating platen on the other, said type block and platen being spaced from said arcs, an envelop magazine having a discharge opening adjacent said arcs, and means for successively engaging envelop flaps pro'ecting through said openin r and turning t e same into engagement wit 1 said arcs.

4. An envelop handling device com rising a pair of cooperating printing rolls, ceding arcs on said rolls arranged for intermittent registration, an envelop magazine having a discharge opening adjacent said rolls, and a finger in operative relation with said rolls for successively engaging envelop flaps posia pair of feeding rolls, provided with oooperating feeding arcs arranged thereon, and cooperating printing means arranged in proximity thereto, in combination with an envelop magazine arranged to receive the envelops therein with the flaps positioned on the lower side thereof, with the flap edge forward, said magazine provided with a discharge opening adjacent to arcs of the feed ing rolls, a finger arranged to move in synchronism with the feeding rolls and intermittently engaging and turn the flaps of the envelops into engagement with the feeding arcs thereof, and means for operating said finger.

7. In an envelop handling device, a pair of rolls comprising a type block, a platen and feeding arcs, a magazine having envelops therein with their flaps turned downwardly, there being a discharge opening in said magazine adjacent said arcsfor the successive reception of said flaps, and a camcontrolled finger for engaging and turning said flaps on the fold thereof into successive engagement with said arcs, the angular position of said type block being such as to contact with the body of the envelops after said flaps have been fed through said arcs.

8. In an envelop handling device, the combination with a pair of printing rolls comprising feeding arcs, ink rolls cooperating with one of said rolls, an envelop magazine having a discharge opening slightly larger than the flaps of envelops provided therein, said opening being adjacent the contacting point of said arcs, there being clearance space between the ends of one are for permitting the envelop flaps to swing on the fold thereof into engagement with said arcs, and'a finger for successively effecting such movement of said flaps.

9. In a printing press, the combination with a pair of printing rolls in geared rela-] tion, of feeding-arcs on said rolls arranged for intermittent cooperation, a magazine containing envelops having a discharge opening at the lower end thereof in front of said arcs, an envelop flap being normally positioned in said opening, a finger, and

means for moving said finger into engagement with said flap and thence downwardly, rearwardly and upwardly turning said flap on the fold thereof into engagement with said arcs.

10. An envelop printing device comprising an envelop magazine arranged to support a plurality of envelops in a superimposed pile flap down, and a reciprocating and transversely moving finger adapted to engage beneath the flap of the lowermost envelop and bend the flap downward and backward on its engagement with the body of the envelop as a center, in combination with gripping mechanism arranged to engage the extended flap and draw the envelop from be neath the pile, and cooperating printing means for printing the'face of the envelop during its said movement.

11. An envelop printing device comprising an envelop magazine arranged to support a plurality of envelops in a superimposed pile fiap down, and a reciprocating transversely movable finger adapted to engage beneath the flap of the lowermost envelop and bend the flap downward and. backward on its engagement with the body of the envelop as a center, in combination with gripping mechanism timed to engage the extended flap, and printing means timed to impress the print on a desired part of the face of the envelop during its passage.

12. An envelop printing device comprising an envelop magazine arranged to support a plurality of envelops in a superimposed pile flap down, and a reciprocating and transversely moving finger adapted to engage beneath the flap of the lowermost envelop and bend the flap downward and back- 1 ward on its engagement with the body of the envelop as a center, in combination with rotatable gripping members, means for rotating said members, and printing" mechanism cooperating withthe gripping mechanism arranged to print the face of the envelop during its passage.

13. In a device of the kind described a pair of feeding rolls, one of said rolls having an arc thereof removed, providing a section for the reception of an envelop flap between the two, and means for operatively rotating the rolls, in combination with an envelop magazine arranged to receive envelops therein with the flaps on the lower side thereof and the flap edge forward, a discharge opening in the magazine to permit the unfolding of the flap of the envelop, a cam controlled finger arranged to successively engage the several envelops flaps, and turn the same downward through said opening and into the path of the feeding rolls, and means for operating the cam.

14. In a device of the kind described, a

pair of feeding rolls provided with coopcrating feeding arcs and means for operatively rotating the same, in combination with an envelop magazine arranged adjacent to said rolls having a discharge opening 5 through which the envelop flaps normally project, a reciprocating finger arranged to successively engage the flaps of the envelop and turn the same into engaging position with the feeding arcs of the rolls, substantially described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of a subscribing witness.

CLAUDE L. POST. Witness:

J OHN W. HILL. 

